Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development on how many days on average staff of her Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Alan Duncan: DFID collects sick absence details monthly, which cover a rolling 12 months period. In line with other Government Departments, we report on this basis quarterly to Cabinet Office. Details of the average working days lost (AWDL) to sickness absence in DFID, per Home Civil Service (HCS) employee, for each of the last 12 rolling 12 month periods, is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Period AWDL to sickness absence per HCS employee 
			 1 November 2010 to 31 October 2011 5.0 
			 1 December 2010 to 30November 2011 4.8 
			 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2011 4.7 
			 1 February 2011 to 31 January 2012 4.5 
			 1 March 2011 to 29 February 2012 4.5 
			 1 April 2011 to 31 March 2012 4.6 
			 1 May 2011 to 30 April 2012 4.6 
			 1 June 2011 to 31 May 2012 4.5 
			 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012 4.2 
			 1 August 2011 to 31 July 2012 4.3 
			 1 September 2011 to 31 August 2012 4.1 
			 1 October 2011 to 30 September 2012 3.9

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

David Mundell: All Scotland Office staff are on secondment from other Government bodies, principally the Scottish Government and the Ministry of Justice which have their own absence management policies and record processes that apply to those of their staff working in this office. Since 2010, the Scotland Office has kept local records of sick absences. The following table shows the average number of days staff in each grade were absent through ill health over the past 12 months.
	
		
			  Senior Civil Servant Grade 6/7 Senior Executive Officer/Higher Executive Officer/Fast Stream Executive Officer Admin. 
			 October 2011 0.0 0.0 0.12 0.0 0.42 
			 November 2011 0.0 0.17 0.2 1.1 0.14 
			 December 2011 0.0 0.33 0.12 0.55 0.0 
			 January 2012 0.5 0.08 0.0 0.0 0.57 
			 February 2012 0.5 0.33 0.0 0.22 0.43 
			 March 2012 0.17 0.0 0.0 1.2 0.14 
			 April 2012 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.29 
			 May 2012 0.0 0.0 0.08 0.0 0.0 
			 June 2012 0.5 0.21 0.2 0.0 0.0 
			 Jul. 2012 0.0 0.33 0.0 0.0 0.0 
			 Aug. 2012 0.0 0.17 0.04 0.44 0.0 
			 September 2012 0.0 0.25 0.16 0.0 0.28

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2011-12; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2012-13.

Stephen Crabb: The Wales Office average vacancy rate for the financial year 2011-12 was 16%. The Wales Office has not estimated an assumed average vacancy rate for the financial year 2012-13.

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost to her Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period by her Department were paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

James Brokenshire: The Home Office processes its invoices through the Ministry of Justice Shared Service Centre. The devolved nature of the process within the Home Office means that a full end to end cost is difficult to identify but the costs to the Department for the Shared Service Centre can be identified.
	The average cost in September 2012 based on the average cost for the previous 12 months was £4.34 per invoice (£4.62 in September 2011). This was the cost of the Shared Service Centre teams directly involved with processing the invoice and their share of the overheads. It does not include Home Office costs internally such as requisitioners, buyers, approvers and receipters. This figure covers the core headquarters and its Agencies. Other Home Office non departmental public bodies (NDPBs) do not use the Shared Service Centre for their transactions.
	The proportion of invoices paid electronically to date during 2012-13 is 78.9% and the proportion paid by cheque for the same period is 21.1%. This is the latest financial data available. Last year the figures were 97% for electronic payments and just 3% for cheques. However since these figures were published the Department has increased the scope of its shared services provision and there is now a higher proportion of small value, one off supplier payments that are being made.

Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre

Yvette Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what funding her Department allocated to the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre for each year from 2006-07 to date.

Theresa May: Since 2006 the Government has provided funding for the centre of:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2006-07 5.360 
			 2007-08 5.657 
			 2008-09 6.270 
			 2009-10 6.353 
			 2010-11 6.44 
			 2011-12 6.38

South Yorkshire Police

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether she plans to investigate the allegations made in a recent BBC Inside Out programme about the conduct of South Yorkshire police in policing the Orgreave Coke Works in 1984.

Damian Green: The Government takes any allegation of police misconduct extremely seriously. It is the responsibility of the relevant police force or the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) to investigate such allegations. To initiate an investigation, a complaint must be made to the force involved, to their police authority, or to the IPCC itself.

UK Border Agency

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time taken by the UK Border Agency is to process Tier 1 visa applications.

Mark Harper: The average time taken to process Tier 1 applications in the last 12 months is 9.2 days.
	The median, (which is a better measure because the average can easily be distorted by a few abnormally large values) is 7.4 days.
	This data is based on management information. It is provisional and subject to change.

Non-domestic Rates

Henry Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities will be empowered to introduce payment holidays when they start to retain a proportion of business rates revenue for the purposes of addressing local economic circumstances.

Brandon Lewis: We have already empowered local authorities to grant business rates discounts to local businesses in their area through the Localism Act 2011. This enables, local authorities to respond to local circumstances by reducing rate bills as they see fit, which can include providing business rate payment holidays. This is in addition to councils' existing powers to offer discretionary hardship rate relief.
	The Local Government Finance Bill will further promote local economic growth by enabling local authorities to retain a share of the business rates they collect, providing a powerful new financial incentive for councils to support local business growth.

Planning Inspectorate

Chris Heaton-Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what training courses were provided for inspectors at the Planning Inspectorate in the last 12 months; by whom the training was presented; and what subjects were covered. [R]

Nicholas Boles: In the last 12 months, the Planning Inspectorate ran internal training courses, using in-house resources, for inspectors on the following subjects:
	Local Plans
	Community Infrastructure Levy
	Waste
	Enforcement
	Gypsy and Travellers
	Tree Preservation Orders
	Roads and Traffic
	National Infrastructure (working with the Judicial College)
	Inquisitorial Methods (working with the Planning and Environmental Bar Association)
	Rights of Way
	In addition the Planning Inspectorate held a three day annual conference for salaried inspectors in March 2012 which included the following subjects and speakers:
	Viability (Regenerate)
	Housing Land Supply (PCL Planning)
	Environmental Impact Assessments (Planning Inspector)
	Design (Design Council/CABE)
	Planning and Environmental Law Updates (Neil Cameron QC)
	Inquisitorial Methods (Landmark Chambers)
	Noise including Windfarms (Planning Inspector)
	Nature Conservation and Natural Heritage (Bioscan)
	Community Infrastructure Levy and SI06 (Plymouth City Council)
	Built Heritage (English Heritage)

Supermarkets: Planning Permission

David Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what legislative proposals he intends to bring forward in respect of the creation of an exceptional sign-off for out of town supermarkets.

Nicholas Boles: As outlined in both the Government's response to the Mary Portas review and in my written ministerial statement of 26 October 2012, Official Report, columns 71-72WS, it is the continuing policy of the Government to be very selective about calling-in planning applications.
	Parliament has entrusted local planning authorities with the responsibility for day-to-day planning. We will only consider the use of call-in powers if planning issues of more than local importance are involved; such criteria are explained in that statement.
	More broadly, the National Planning Policy Framework provides for a ‘town centre first’ policy, to focus retail development within town centres. Councils' local plans should also shape the scope and location of future retail development.

Food: Prices

Frank Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for what reason food prices rose by 32 per cent between 2007 and 2012.

David Heath: Research shows that the main drivers behind changes in food prices are global agricultural commodity prices, exchange rates, and fluctuating oil prices. The Government actively monitors food prices and the drivers behind changes in commodity prices.
	Each of these factors has played a role in increasing food prices since 2007. In 2008, the UK pound lost value compared to the US dollar and a basket of other currencies, making food imports more expensive. This change in exchange rate has persisted.
	Oil prices have risen since 2007 and remain high, increasing the cost of transport and manufacturing. Agricultural commodity prices have experienced a series of spikes, and prices have not returned to pre-spike levels in 2007, in large part because of the higher oil price, which affects a number of agricultural inputs such as fertiliser.

Trees: Diseases

Glyn Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the arrival in the UK of the fungus Chalara fraxinea.

David Heath: The Government is taking the threat posed by “Chalara fraxinea” extremely seriously.
	The Food and Environment Research Agency consulted on a Pest Risk Assessment (PRA) for “Chalara fraxinea” drafted by scientists at the Forestry Commission's Forest Research agency. A PRA summarises evidence on the risk of an organism being introduced, spreading, establishing, causing economic or environmental damage and the prospects of controlling it. The consultation concluded on 26 October 2012.
	The Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the right hon. Member for North Shropshire (Mr Paterson), recently approved restrictions on ash imports and movements, in response to the outcome of the consultation on the PRA and the results of surveillance. Forestry Commission legislation to give effect to these restrictions came into force on 29 October, before the main planting season in November. Further surveillance and action against findings are in progress.

Apprentices

Simon Kirby: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills pursuant to the answer of 24 October 2012, Official Report, column 912W, on apprentices: Brighton, what steps his Department is taking to encourage applications for apprenticeship grants for employers in areas of low take-up.

Matthew Hancock: The National Apprenticeship Service is promoting the Apprenticeship Grant for Employers through extensive engagement with training providers and employers, as well as a national marketing campaign that includes direct mail, telemarketing and promotion through the trade press.
	The National Apprenticeship Service is continuing to develop strategic partnerships with Core Cities and Local Enterprise Partnerships to promote the scheme and promoting the grant locally through activities focused on local employers and local priorities. For example, activities in the Brighton area include events with small and medium sized employers and specific events linking to Brighton's Digi Media growth sector.

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Jo Swinson: The Department has not recently carried out a benchmarking exercise to establish the cost of processing an invoice for payment. The Department will be moving its invoice processing function to a new "Shared Services" provider during the course of this financial year, therefore, disproportionate costs would be incurred should a benchmarking exercise be carried out at this stage. However, the Shared Service provider which the Department will move to currently produces quarterly figures on the cost of processing an invoice to the Cabinet Office as part of the new Next Generation Shared Services (NGSS) Benchmarking exercise. This allows comparisons to be drawn on the efficiency and effectiveness of Government shared services.
	During 2011/12 the Department made 99% of it payments electronically, the remainder were made by payable order.

Ford Motor Company

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  how many times Ministers in his Department have visited the Ford Transit plant in Swaythling since May 2010; and on what dates those visits took place;
	(2)  whether Ministers in his Department have made proposals to Ford to ensure that transit van production is retained in the UK;
	(3)  how many meetings Ministers in his Department have had with Ford at which the future of the Ford Transit plant in Swaythling was discussed since May 2010; and on what dates those meetings took place.

Michael Fallon: holding answer 30 October 2012
	Ministers in the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) have not been invited to visit Ford's plant in Southampton since May 2010.
	Ford is a significant investor in the UK and the company is fully aware that Ministers have an open door to discuss their UK operations, including engaging, at an early stage in the decision-making process, on any help or support we might be able to provide. Although we understand that Ford made their decision based on a thorough analysis of their commercial operations in Europe, we are of course disappointed that on this occasion they chose not to engage with us before making their announcement.
	I am the contact minister for Ford. BIS Ministers have met Ford's management on 13 occasions since May 2010 on the following dates:
	
		
			  Minister 
			 12 July 2010 Mark Prisk 
			 22 July 2010 Vince Cable 
			 8 September 2010 Mark Prisk 
			 27 September 2010 Vince Cable(1) 
			 30 September 2010 Mark Prisk 
			 13 June 2011 Vince Cable 
			 21 June 2011 Vince Cable 
			 14 September 2011 Mark Prisk 
			 9 November 2011 Vince Cable 
			 1 February 2012 David Willetts 
			 1 March 2012 Mark Prisk 
			 5 September 2012 Michael Fallon 
			 25/26 September 2012 Michael Fallon 
			 (1 )With the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
		
	
	During those meetings, there was general discussion about the deteriorating market for vehicles in Europe but no closure plans were mentioned in respect of either Southampton or the Dagenham Pressing plants.
	The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills, the right hon. Member for Twickenham (Vince Cable), spoke to Ford management on 24 October 2012 when the company indicated that they would be closing both facilities.

Work Experience

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what plans his Department has to promote social mobility through fair, paid internships across the public and private sector.

David Willetts: High quality internships offer many benefits to employers and interns. Government believe that fair access to such opportunities is important. We want to see as many high quality internship opportunities as possible being made available to talented young people from all backgrounds.
	In the Social Mobility Strategy we explain that we encourage businesses to offer internships openly and transparently and to provide financial support to ensure fair access. This financial support could consist either of payment of at least the appropriate national minimum wage (NMW) rate, or alternatively payment of reasonable out-of-pocket expenses where this is in compliance with NMW law. We have provided guidance to give employers and interns greater clarity on when interns are entitled to the NMW:
	http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?r.l1= 1073858787&r.12=1084822773&r.13=1081657912&r.s= t1&topicId=1096811513
	We are ensuring that enforcement of the minimum wage continues to be effective and that resources are focused where they will have maximum impact. HM Revenue and Customs are conducting targeted enforcement in sectors where internships are common and are working with stakeholders in these sectors to drive up compliance.
	We also endorse the “Common Best Practice Code for High Quality Internships” published by the Gateways to the Professions Collaborative Forum, which we believe will help improve access to the professions for young people from all backgrounds:
	http://www.bis.gov.uk/assets/BISCore/higher-education/docs/C/11-1068-common-best-practice-code-for-quality-internships.pdf
	The BIS sponsored Graduate Talent Pool has provided over 48,000 internship opportunities to date:
	http://graduatetalentpool.direct.gov.uk/cms/ShowPage/Home_page/p!ecaaefg
	Improved quality assurance processes have ensured that in recent months, unpaid and expenses only adverts represent between 2% and 5% of vacancies.

Domestic Violence

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of support provided by the NHS to victims of domestic violence; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The national health service provides a wide range of support to victims of domestic violence though this is difficult to quantify. Victims can access, help and support through a variety of health service providers. Health care professionals also frequently refer victims to specialist providers of domestic violence services. Health care professionals participate in Multi-Agency Risk Assessment Conferences which are convened to support high risk victims.
	The Department has undertaken significant work to promote the identification of victims of domestic violence by health professionals working with the key professional organisations including the Royal Colleges, recognising the key role that health services play in providing opportunities for victims to disclose in a safe environment. This includes the introduction of routine inquiry by midwives who ask all pregnant women whether they are at risk of, or suffering from domestic violence.
	We are committed to improving standards of care and support for women and child victims of domestic violence. This commitment is outlined in “Improving services for women and child victims of violence: the Department of Health Action Plan” published in November 2010, and sets out how the Department will work with the NHS and partners to address this issue. Further details of the Action Plan are at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_122003
	The health service is in a unique position to help support victims of domestic violence, information on a range of services available through local services that have been set up to ensure women's safety. In December 2005, the Department published “Responding to Domestic Abuse: a handbook for health professionals”. The handbook gives practical guidance to health care professionals on working with patients who may have experienced or are experiencing domestic abuse. A copy of the handbook is at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/documents/digitalasset/dh_4126619.pdf
	On 19 November 2009, the Department published “Improving safety, reducing harm: children, young people and domestic violence A practical toolkit for front-line practitioners”.
	This comprehensive toolkit for health professionals was developed to improve responses to a range of key issues affecting children and young people including domestic violence, bullying, sexual violence and gangs as well as child protection and risk assessments. A copy of the toolkit is at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/prod_consum_dh/groups/dh_digitalassets/@dh/@en/@ps/documents/digitalasset/dh_116914.pdf
	Copies of the documents have already been placed in the Library.

Female Genital Mutilation

David Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the number of cases of female genital mutilation in the UK in the latest period for which figures are available; and what strategy he has put in place to eradicate this practice.

Anna Soubry: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is illegal in the United Kingdom. It is also illegal to arrange for a child to be taken abroad for FGM. If caught, offenders face a large fine and a prison sentence of up to 14 years. It has been estimated that over 20,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of FGM in the UK, and that 66,000 women in the UK are living with the consequences of FGM. However, the true extent is unknown due to the 'hidden' nature of the crime and the lack of robust prevalence data.
	Additionally, the Health and Social Care Information Centre collect data on Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), with details of all admissions to NHS hospitals in England. HES clinical codes do not currently enable us to identify admissions for FGM-related treatment such as deinfibulation (female circumcision). We are exploring the inclusion of a HES code for deinfibulation in the next update of HES coding scheduled for release in April 2014.
	The Government's commitment to tackle FGM is set out in the Violence against Women and Girls Action Plan and the-Home Office has the lead across Government in tackling FGM. Officials in the Department work very closely on FGM with Home Office counterparts. In February 2011, the Government launched Multi-Agency Practice Guidelines on FGM, which can be used by all health professionals to help them identify girls who may be at risk of FGM. The Home Office is currently reviewing the use of the Guidelines, and expects to complete this review by the end of February 2013.
	This summer the Government and the police engaged in a campaign to crack down on FGM during the summer holiday period—traditionally the time of greatest risk for girls being taken abroad to undergo the practice. More than 80,000 leaflets and posters have been distributed to schools, health services, charities and community groups across the country.

Heart Diseases: Children

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the further review of children's cardiac services to be completed by 28 February 2013 that he announced in his letter to local authorities of 22 October 2012 will also include a review of adult and children's extra-corporeal oxygenation services in England.

Anna Soubry: The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) provides advice to the Secretary of State on the plans that the national health service puts forward for significant change to services—it cannot review decisions taken by the Secretary of State on nationally commissioned highly specialised services.
	The Secretary of State has asked the IRP to conduct a full review of the Safe and Sustainable review of children's congenital heart services. It will review the decision of the Joint Committee of Primary Care Trusts on the future pattern of children's congenital heart surgery and its consideration of the impact of that, which may include possible consequences for other services. The Secretary of State's decision to move children's extra-corporeal oxygenation services (ECMO) to Birmingham does not affect the provision of adult ECMO services at Leicester, which will continue.
	The terms of reference for the review are available online at:
	www.irpanel.org.uk

Staff

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spent on (a) recruitment agency fees, (b) outplacement agency fees for displaced or redundant staff and (c) staff training in each of the last 12 months.

Daniel Poulter: The Department does not hold information on recruitment agency fees in the form requested. While the Department's central procurement system is able to identify total payments made to recruitment agencies it is not possible to isolate the fee element of any of those payments.
	The total cost of fees for outplacement services in the past 12 months was £2,851.20 including VAT. Fees are not paid every month, only when required for the service. In the last 12 months only two payments were made: £1,042.80 for August and £1,808.40 for September.
	Corporate departmental spend on staff training for learning and development (L&D) for the calendar year October 2011 to September 2012 (the most recent complete year for which data are available) is set out in the following table:
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011  
			 October 21,201.16 
			 November 36,080.82 
			 December 10,287.31 
			   
			 2012  
			 January 3,995.20 
			 February 19,073.80 
			 March 5,162.40 
			 April 0 
			 May 6,894.32 
			 June 0 
			 July 109,475.00 
			 August 8,210.88 
			 September 12,904.80 
			 Overall total 233,285.69 
		
	
	The table outlines central L&D spend only, ie training that is funded centrally by Human Resources. Individual directorates may also have additional L&D budgets. However, this expenditure is not tracked or analysed centrally.

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Chloe Smith: The average cost of processing an invoice for August 2012 was £2.69. All invoices are paid electronically.
	In line with other year on year efficiencies delivered through the Cabinet Office's commercial relationship with DWP, the cost of processing of invoices has fallen since 2010.

Aircraft Carriers

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the dimensions are of the main cargo and aircraft lift planned for the Queen Elizabeth class carrier.

Philip Dunne: holding answer 29 October 2012
	There are two aircraft lifts on each Queen Elizabeth Class Carrier, which measure around 28 metres long, 15 metres wide, and 2.5 metres deep.

Armed Forces

Dan Byles: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the deployable collective protection capacity of Defence Medical Services with regard to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats.

Andrew Robathan: The Collective Protection Capacity of the Defence Medical Services with regard to Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear threats has been assessed during a number of departmental audits between July 2011 and July 2012. The details of these audits are classified in the interests of national security.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Alison Seabeck: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the purchase of training helicopters to support the rotary wing training programme has been deferred until after the next strategic defence and security review; and if he will make a statement.

Philip Dunne: Since 1997, rotary wing training has been contracted to FBHeliservices who have operated the Defence Helicopter Flying School. In April 2012, this contract was extended for four years to 2016. A study is currently being conducted to determine how best to take forward rotary wing training after 2016.

Syria

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the UK has supplied unmanned aerial vehicles to Syria in the last three years.

Michael Fallon: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government does hold details of export licensing decisions and, for the period specified, there are no records relating to the proposed export of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to Syria. However, some UAVs are not strategically controlled because they are not of significant military utility and therefore do not require a licence for export or trade activity and, where this is the case, we do not hold information about what may have been supplied without a licence.

Cleaning Services

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to require all cleaning contracts held by his Department to stipulate that the cleaning products used and their ingredients should not have been tested on animals.

Mark Hoban: The Department has a Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract with Telereal Trillium for the provision of fully serviced accommodation, including the provision of cleaning. The cleaning contractor used by Telereal Trillium is Mitie Group plc. This company does not use cleaning products or ingredients in cleaning products that have been tested on animals and have confirmed that it is their policy not to do so.

Housing Benefit

Ian Mearns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many housing benefit claimants under the age of 25 living in (a) the social rented sector and (b) the private rented sector are (i) single and without children, (ii) single with children, (iii) in a couple and without children and (iv) in a couple with children.

Steve Webb: The requested information is in the following table.
	
		
			 Housing benefit recipients under the age of 25 and living in the social rented sector and the private rented sector by family type, May 2012 
			  Age All Single, no child dependant Single with child dependant(s) Couple, no child dependant Couple with child dependant 
			 Social rented sector All ages 3,382,870 2,000,490 690,700 375,320 316,370 
			  Under 25 201,320 94,280 86,270 5,780 14,980 
		
	
	
		
			 Private rented sector All ages 1,645,730 777,410 492,170 123,280 252,870 
			  Under 25 182,120 70,440 85,300 8,760 17,610 
			 Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units which may be a single person or a couple. 2. The figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Recipients are as at second Thursday of the month. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly aggregate clerical returns. The data is available monthly from November 2008 and May 2012 is the latest available. 5. Age groups are based on the age on the count date (second Thursday of the month), of either: (a) the recipient if they are single, or (b) the elder of the recipient or partner if claiming as a couple. 6. Components may not sum to total due to (i) independent rounding, (ii) exclusion of claimants with unknown age. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE)

Housing Benefit: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria were in receipt of the rent element of housing benefit in the 2011-12 tax year.

Steve Webb: Statistics for the number of people receiving housing benefit in the social rented and private rented sector in Cumbria are published on the Department's website at:
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hbctb_release_apr11.xls
	http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/hb_ctb/hbctb_release_jun12.xls
	Figures are shown under the heading ‘Tenancy Type’ and give a breakdown by each local authority in Cumbria.

Social Security Benefits: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria were in receipt of (i) funeral payments, (ii) Sure Start maternity grants and (iii) cold weather payments in the 2011-12 tax year.

Steve Webb: Table 1 provides the number of funeral payments and Sure Start maternity grants paid out in the Chorlton BDC social fund budget area in 2011-12. Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency and Cumbria are contained within this budget area.
	
		
			 Table 1: Total number of funeral payments and Sure Start maternity grants paid out to residents in the Chorlton BDC social fund budget area in 2011-12 
			 Award type Number of awards 
			 Funeral payments 3,700 
			 Sure Start maternity grants 8,300 
			 Source: Department for Work and Pensions Social Fund Policy, Budget and Management Information System 
		
	
	Cold weather payments are paid based on the temperatures recorded at certain weather stations around the country. Residents in Cumbria are covered by a number of weather stations. Table 2 shows the number of eligible recipients paid at least one cold weather payment with respect to each of these weather stations during 2011-12. Barrow and Furness parliamentary constituency was covered by Walney Island weather station.
	
		
			 Table 2: Estimated number of eligible recipients who received a cold weather payment in 2011-12 
			 Area Eligible recipients 
			 Bainbridge 4,500 
			 Carlisle 0 
			 Eskdalemuir 5,200 
			 Redesdale 4,500 
			 Shap 5,000 
			 St Bees Head 0 
			 Stonyhurst 25,400 
			 Walney Island 0 
			 Total 44,600 
			 Notes: 1. The funeral payment and Sure Start maternity grant figures relate to awards, not people. Individuals can apply for and receive more than one of these payments in any given year. The number of unique individuals who received these awards is not recorded. 2. Data on funeral payments and Sure Start maternity grants is not held by parliamentary constituency or county but by Jobcentre Plus social fund budget area. The figures for the Chorlton BDC social fund budget area covers both the Barrow and Furness constituency and Cumbria, but will also include awards made to residents in other areas. 3. The information provided is management information. Our preference is to answer all parliamentary questions using Official/National Statistics but in this case we only have management information available. It is not quality assured to the same extent as Official/National statistics and there are some issues with the data; for example, it will not include awards which were processed clerically and have not yet been entered on to the social fund computer system. 4. Cold weather payments are paid out to eligible recipients if an average temperature of 0° C is recorded or forecast for seven consecutive days at the weather station linked to the recipient's postcode. 5. Cold weather payments are made to benefit units rather than to households or individuals. A benefit unit can be a single person or a couple and can include children. The number of individual recipients is not available. 6. The cold weather payment figures have been estimated based on eligibility on 31 October 2011. The exact number of payments made in 2011-12 is not recorded. 7. The estimated number of benefit units which have received cold weather payments relates to the entire area that the weather station covers, not just to that in the listed parliamentary constituencies and counties. 8. Weather station boundaries are determined by postcode and are not directly linked to parliamentary constituency or county boundaries. In particular, Walney Island weather station also covers areas outside the Barrow and Furness constituency and the full list of weather stations given in Table 2 together cover Cumbria but also contain residents in other areas. It is not possible to break the data down further. 9. All given figures have been rounded to the nearest 100. Source: Department for Work and Pensions records of the triggers to weather stations in the period 1 November 2011 to 31 March 2012 and estimated numbers of potential qualifiers by weather station.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the potential monetary value of savings made from the removal of the housing benefit disregard of childcare costs for housing benefit claimants under the introduction of universal credit.

Steve Webb: The Government is not making any overall savings from the removal of the disregard of child care costs for housing benefit and council tax benefit claimants under the introduction of universal credit. In fact, the Government will invest an extra £300 million into child care support.

Universal Credit

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of (a) the number of people affected by and (b) the (i) average and (ii) maximum cash loss to families arising from the removal of the housing benefit disregard of childcare costs for housing benefit claimants under the introduction of universal credit.

Steve Webb: The information is as follows:
	(a) The Department estimates that approximately 100,000 families currently receive support for child care costs from both the childcare element of working tax credit and one or both of the disregards for childcare costs available through housing benefit and council tax benefit. (Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 100,000.)
	(b) The information requested is not available. Universal credit is a single payment; it is not possible to disaggregate an award into amounts that correspond to individual elements once the disregard and taper have been applied.
	Where families would receive less support under universal credit, a package of transitional protection will ensure that they do not lose out in cash terms as a result of the move to universal credit and where circumstances have not otherwise changed.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 23 October 2012, Official Report, column 839W, on social security benefit, of those whose benefit will be reduced through application of the benefit cap in 2013, which benefit recipients who might be capped will be offered early access to the Work Programme.

Mark Hoban: Claimants who are in receipt of employment and support allowance, incapacity benefit, income support and jobseeker's allowance (JSA) are able to access the Work programme at nine or 12 months.
	JSA claimants in the 18 to 24 and 25+ groups would normally access the Work Programme at none or 12 months. However, since June 2012 the Department has made early access to the Work Programme available to those JSA claimants likely to be affected by the benefit cap. They are able to volunteer for early access to the Work Programme after three months of pre-Work Programme support from Jobcentre Plus.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to urge the government of Burma to cease attacks on Kachin civilians and seek a peace process with the Kachin Independence Organisation.

Hugo Swire: We continue to highlight the importance of finding a long-term solution to Burma’s ethnic conflicts, including that in Kachin State, in all our discussions with the Burmese Government. We welcome the Burmese Government’s attempts to build trust with and between ethnic groups including signing cease-fire agreements with 10 ethnic groups. We are now urging the Government to take the next steps towards a process of national political dialogue.
	We are actively supporting the reconciliation process between Burma’s ethnic groups. The Prime Minister announced the allocation of an additional £5 million for immediate peace-building activities during Aung San Suu Kyi’s visit to the UK in June. Our embassy in Rangoon also hosted a visit of UK experts in July with experience of trust-building and peace-building between communities in Northern Ireland. We intend to continue to draw on UK expertise in this area in order to support the reconciliation process.

Burma

David Burrowes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the government of Burma on the conflict in Kachin State.

Hugo Swire: We continue to press the Burmese Government for unrestricted humanitarian access to internally displaced persons across Burma, and to urge the Government to put in place a long term solution to end ethnic conflict in Burma, particularly in Kachin State.
	Officials from our embassy in Rangoon are also in regular contact with representatives of the Kachin for updates on the peace talks and the humanitarian situation there.
	On 15 July our ambassador met senior figures in the Burmese Government, including the Vice President, to raise the importance of bringing the conflict in Kachin State to an end. The meetings were organised as part of a visit by UK experts focusing on inter-communal trust-building and peace processes.

Cayman Islands

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests he has received for technical support from the Cayman Islands government in respect of the Cayman Turtle Farm.

Mark Simmonds: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has not received any requests for technical support from the Cayman Islands Government in respect of the Cayman Turtle Farm.
	We are aware that the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has conducted an investigation into the turtle farm, and that it has recently made its findings public. The British Government places great importance on conserving the biodiversity of the Overseas Territories and takes seriously reports of animal cruelty throughout the world. We therefore welcome the work that non-governmental organisations such as WSPA undertake in support of international animal welfare issues.
	We understand the farm has carried out a review of its operations and found no basis for WSPA's allegations. The farm itself has ordered that an independent assessment take place in December. We encourage WSPA, the management of the farm and the Cayman Islands Government to continue to engage constructively.

Central Africa

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what diplomatic visits have been made by officials from British diplomatic posts in Uganda, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the border region of those countries; and what concerns they have reported on human rights abuses or military activity.

Mark Simmonds: We remain very concerned about the situation in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Diplomatic staff from the British embassy in Kinshasa visit Goma regularly as well as other accessible areas in eastern DRC. Diplomatic staff from the British high commission Kigali have made frequent visits to the borders with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Staff from Kampala have also visited the border between Uganda and DRC. We expect our staff to continue making such visits provided that their safety is not put at risk.
	We receive regular reports about the current military situation and human rights in eastern DRC from these visits and from other sources including the UN, the DRC authorities, non-governmental organisations and civil society groups. A fragile lull in fighting remains in place, though we are aware of reports of continuing clashes, that M23 is extending its territory and that Rwandan support for M23 continues. We are also aware of reports that M23 and others are committing human rights abuses. We will continue to make it clear that human rights abuses wherever and whenever they occur are unacceptable.

Indonesia

Dan Rogerson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Indonesian government on the use of personnel trained by the UK and Australian governments in military action against civilians in Papua and West Papua.

Hugo Swire: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), has had no discussions with the Indonesian Government about this issue. Our ambassador to Indonesia met senior military and police officials in Papua in September 2012 and emphasised the need to respect human rights and ensure full and transparent investigations into violent incidents. All of the training delivered by the UK to Indonesian personnel is consistent with the importance we attach to upholding human rights. The UK remains committed to urging all levels of the Indonesian Government to work with the Papuans towards solving regional governance disputes peacefully.

Rwanda

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration he has given to the recent Amnesty International report on military detention in Rwanda; and whether he has raised the findings of that report with the government of Rwanda.

Mark Simmonds: The UK continues to have serious concerns about human rights abuses in Rwanda, and we regularly raise these concerns with senior Rwandan interlocutors. Our high commissioner in Kigali has raised the issue of illegal detention with the Rwandan Government on a number of occasions, and has discussed the key concerns in the Amnesty International report with them. He has regularly requested access to detention centres and in September was granted access to the Gikondo transit centre facility, one of those mentioned in the Amnesty International report. The high commission hosted a roundtable discussion between Amnesty International and other diplomatic missions in Rwanda before the report's publication to raise wider awareness of the issues it addresses. An update to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office Human Rights Report, published on 18 October, described the high commission in Kigali's efforts to seek access to the military and civilian facilities referred to in Amnesty International's and other reports about illegal detention.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Alistair Burt: The average number of days an officer was absent from work as a result of ill health for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) UK Based officers in each of the last 12 months is as follows:
	
		
			 Grade Oct 2011 Nov 2011 Dec 2011 Jan 2012 Feb 2012 Mar 2012 Apr 2012 May 2012 Jun 2012 Jul 2012 Aug 2012 Sep 2012 
			 Al 1.77 1.76 1.25 0.4 0.48 1.07 0.94 0.18 0.67 0.53 0.12 0.6 
			 A2 0.68 0.66 0.67 0.71 0.59 0.55 0.49 0.58 0.55 0.6 0.5 0.44 
			 B3 0.4 0.35 0.26 0.45 0.36 0.31 0.29 0.28 0.24 0.29 0.32 0.28 
			 C4 0.24 0.24 0.17 0.24 0.17 0.19 0.22 0.26 0.25 0.21 0.14 0.12 
			 C5 0.35 0.22 0.21 0.29 0.2 0.25 0.15 0.23 0.14 0.13 0.15 0.11 
			 D6 0.11 0.13 0.11 0.11 0.16 0.17 0.11 0.11 0.1 0.1 0.17 0.11 
			 D7 0.1 0.06 0.06 0.11 0.08 0.08 0.04 0.1 0.24 0.21 0.24 0.07 
			 SMS1 0.12 0.03 0.01 0.04 0.03 0.04 0.06 0.07 0.05 0.03 0.01 0.09 
			 SMS2 0.14 0.11 0.14 0.01 0.02 0.01 0.04 0 0.04 0.04 0.01 0 
			 SMS3 0 0.14 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
		
	
	The above figures represent only FCO UK based staff (around 4,500) who work either in the UK or in one of our missions abroad. They do not include locally engaged or FCO Services staff.

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2011-12; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2012-13.

Alistair Burt: It is not possible to provide an overall figure for vacancy rates. External vacancies arise only when roles are not filled either internally or from across Whitehall and it is difficult to predict these in advance.
	In 2011-12, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) filled 22 Fast Stream programme and 19 other vacancies for UK-based staff through external recruitment campaigns.
	In 2012-13, the FCO expects to take on 40 fast streamers. The Fast Stream Recruitment programme is exempt from the Government-wide recruitment freeze.

Billing

Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average cost to his Department was of processing the payment of an invoice in the latest period for which figures are available; and what proportion of invoices settled in that period his Department paid (a) electronically and (b) by cheque.

Sajid Javid: The average cost of processing an invoice for Treasury Group in 2011-12 was £6.28. Of the 8,595 invoices processed in this period 98.8% were paid electronically with the remaining 0.2% paid by cheque.

Child Benefit: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many households in each constituency in Northern Ireland were in receipt of child benefit in January 2012.

David Gauke: The latest available data is for August 2011. This information is published in the HMRC publication “Child Benefit Statistics; Geographical analysis at County, Region, Local Authority and Parliamentary Constituency levels” and can be accessed here:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/child_benefit/chb-geog-aug11.xls
	Table 5 gives a breakdown by local authority, and Table 6 gives a breakdown by Westminster parliamentary constituency.

Income Tax: Northern Ireland

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people paying income tax at the (a) basic and (b) higher rate there were in each constituency in Northern Ireland in the most recent financial year for which figures are available.

David Gauke: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			 Thousand 
			 Parliamentary constituency Basic rate taxpayers Higher rate taxpayers 
			 Belfast East 34 3 
			 Belfast North 28 1 
			 Belfast South 39 5 
			 Belfast West 26 (1)— 
			 East Antrim 36 3 
			 East Londonderry 33 2 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 38 2 
			 Foyle 37 2 
			 Lagan Valley 52 5 
			 Mid Ulster 35 1 
			 Newry and Armagh 41 2 
			 North Antrim 46 3 
			 North Down 41 4 
			 South Antrim 49 3 
			 South Down 44 3 
			 Strangford 41 3 
			 Upper Bann 45 2 
			 West Tyrone 33 2 
			 (1) Sample size too small to produce a reliable estimate. 
		
	
	These estimates are based on the 2009-10 Survey of Personal Incomes data, the latest outturn survey available. Reliable estimates for later years based on the projected SPI data, are not available due to greater uncertainties in projections for small geographical areas.

Motor Vehicles: Insurance

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what his policy is on the practice of car insurance companies charging unemployed customers far in excess of the premiums offered to customers in employment; and whether any such practice is discriminatory on the basis of employment status;
	(2)  if he will encourage car insurance companies to reduce the disparity in premiums offered to employed and unemployed customers.

Sajid Javid: As a rule, insurers use their claims experience and other industry-wide statistics to assess the risks posed by an individual and set the terms and price at which they will offer insurance cover. This can mean that where insurers think it relevant, people who are unemployed are offered more expensive cover or different terms.
	However, people who are unemployed should still be able to find insurance in the current market. For those who have difficulty the British Insurance Brokers' Association (BIBA) is able to advise on how best to look across the insurance market for appropriate cover and may be able to provide names of specialist brokers who can advise on the availability of appropriate insurance and trawl the market for the best available deals.

Sick Leave

Mike Freer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on how many days on average staff of his Department in each pay grade were absent from work as a result of ill health in each of the last 12 months.

Sajid Javid: HM Treasury do not keep information on a monthly basis and to supply these data it would be at a disproportionate cost. We do however collate data on an annual rolling average and these have been provided in the following table:
	
		
			 HM Treasury July 2011 to June 2012 April 2011 to March 2012 January 2011 to December 2011 October 2010 to September 2011 
			 Grade AWDL AWDL AWDL AWDL 
			 B 13.0 11.5 9.0 8.6 
			 C 6.6 6.4 5.9 5.9 
			 D 2.8 2.4 2.4 2.3 
			 E 2.9 3.1 3.6 3.6 
			 SCS 4.5 ' 2.9 3.7 2.3 
			 Commercial specialist 3.1 1.0 0.0 0.0 
			 All grades 4.3 3.9 3.8 3.7

Taxation

Sammy Wilson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent steps his Department has taken to simplify the tax system.

David Gauke: The Government are taking action to modernise and simplify the tax system. A modern tax system should be efficient, predictable, simple, and fair. The Government have made a number of improvements to the way in which it makes tax policy, with consultation on policy design and scrutiny of draft legislative proposals as the cornerstones. Further details may be found online at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/tax_policy_making_new_approach.htm
	The Government established the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) on 20 July 2010 to provide independent advice on simplifying the UK tax system and has acted on a range of its recommendations.
	The Government abolished 43 tax reliefs and, from April 2013, will introduce a new cash basis for calculating tax, benefiting up to 3 million small self-employed businesses.
	HMRC is improving tax administration for small businesses as set out in its publication "Making tax easier, quicker and simpler for small business". This document can be found online at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/budget2012/sme-4756.pdf

Taxation: Business

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  pursuant to the oral answer from the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for Barking of 24 October 2012, Official Report, column 920, what steps he is taking to ensure that companies pay tax in an appropriate way;
	(2)  what his policy is on measures to limit the use of offshore financial centres by companies shifting profit to reduce UK tax liabilities.

David Gauke: The UK system of taxing multinational businesses based on internationally agreed principles that determine how much profit each country should tax. The Government is alert to the risk that some companies may try to structure their affairs so that profits from UK-based economic activity are not taxed here. The UK works closely with other jurisdictions to share information and ensure a more effective approach to cross-border tax avoidance. The UK has specific tax rules to combat tax avoidance by international companies and supports international action on base erosion and profit-shifting, which has been endorsed by the G20.

Taxation: Business

Catherine McKinnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on country-by-country tax recent reporting; and whether he has considered proposals to introduce such measures in the UK.

David Gauke: The issue of country-by-country reporting has been extensively discussed with representatives from both civil society and industry in the context of the proposed EU Accounting Directive.
	The Government believes the best way to make progress in this area, is to support the EU proposals to improve transparency in the extractives (gas, oil and mining) and forestry sectors.

Taxation: Energy

Tristram Hunt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the administrative process involved in taking up the Mineralogical Processes Exemption in the Taxation of Energy Products and Electricity Directive 2003/96/EC;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost to the Exchequer of taking up the Mineralogical Processes Exemption in the Taxation of Energy Products and Electricity Directive 2003/96/EC;
	(3)  what plans he has to take up the Mineralogical Processes Exemption in the Taxation of Energy Products and Electricity Directive 2003/96/EC.

Sajid Javid: Council Directive 2003/96/EC (the “Energy Taxation Directive”) lays down mandatory requirements for member states to tax energy products and electricity. Under article 2.4 of the directive, taxation of certain processes is not mandatory, including some in the mineralogical sector. Ministers have committed to review the UK's taxation of these processes.
	This review will consider how other member states tax these processes and, if a further relief is appropriate, how it should be structured (for example, which processes should be covered). The cost and administrative processes involved with any exemption would therefore depend on its scope and coverage.

Energy-saving Devices

Mark Pawsey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to ensure that energy-saving devices offered to consumers are effective and safe.

Gregory Barker: This Government is committed to the highest standards of consumer protection. We have ensured through legislation that energy-saving devices installed under programmes such as the Green Deal and Smart Metering comply with standards of the highest level, with robust consumer redress if they do not.

Energy Strategy

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps he plans to take to ensure that demand reduction plays a larger part in the UK energy strategy in the future.

Edward Davey: The Government has a number of policies aimed at reducing energy demand including Green Deal, the CRC Energy Efficiency Scheme and product standards. We will soon be publishing an energy efficiency strategy setting out how we may make the most of the UK's energy efficiency opportunity as well as a consultation on policies to unlock potential for permanently reducing electricity demand.

Energy: Prices

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what steps his Department is taking to help people lower their energy bills.

Edward Davey: We have three ways to help people lower their energy bills. First, to help people save energy with Carbon Emissions Reduction Target, Warm Front, Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation.
	Second, to help people switch to get better deals—we will do everything we can, including through the energy bill, to get people on the lowest tariffs. Third, to help low income and vulnerable households with direct help towards their energy bills, with the Warm Home Discount.

Fuels: Prices

Karl McCartney: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent discussions he has had with the retail fuel sector on the cost of petrol and diesel.

John Hayes: I recently spoke on this matter during a Backbench Select Committee debate on 13 September on ‘Effects of the Oil Market on the Price of Petrol and Diesel’. As a result I have asked officials to consider the implications of “fuel deserts” as part of the UK petroleum retail market study and to revisit the crude price pass through analysis.
	I also await with interest the Office of Fair Trading's findings on a set of related issues, due in January 2013.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what the name is of each company to which his Department has made payments to train Green Deal apprentices; and how much each such company has been paid.

Gregory Barker: The Department made £3 million available in funding for the training of Green Deal advisers and installers. This was delegated to Asset Skills and Construction Skills respectively to allocate on our behalf. Details of the activity for advisers is available on the Asset Skills website:
	www.assetskills.org
	and for installers on the Green Skills Alliance website:
	www.cutcarbon.info

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how many Green Deal apprentices have (a) begun and (b) completed their training.

Gregory Barker: The Department made £3 million available in funding for the training of Green Deal advisers and installers. This was delegated to Asset Skills and Construction Skills respectively to allocate on our behalf. Over 1,000 learners have begun the adviser training and 23 had completed by the end of September. We expect another 500 to have done so by the end of January 2013. To date there are 304 individuals being assessed for their installer qualification with an expectation that they should complete this within four months. A further 260 individuals are registered and are currently being profiled to identify their training needs. There are also other Green Deal training courses being taken forward in addition to the DECC initiatives.

Green Deal Scheme

Luciana Berger: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much of the funding pledged to train Green Deal apprentices has been distributed to date.

Gregory Barker: The Department has made £1 million available in funding for the training of Green Deal advisors and £2 million for Green Deal installers. This has been distributed in full to Asset Skills and Construction Skills respectively. Details of the activity for advisors is available on the Asset Skills website
	www.assetskills.org
	and for installers on the Green Skills Alliance website
	www.cutcarbon.info

Nuclear Power

Margaret Ritchie: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what recent assessment he has made of the global nuclear energy market.

John Hayes: The Department has not made a recent assessment of the global nuclear energy market.
	The Department of Business, Innovation And Skills has published reports on the value of low carbon environmental goods and services sectors which provide estimates of the global value of the nuclear sector.
	The International Energy Agency’s annual ‘World Energy Outlook’ report presents insights into trends in energy markets, including scenarios on the deployment of nuclear power.

Press: Subscriptions

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to which magazines, journals and newspapers his Department subscribes.

Gregory Barker: Magazines, journals and newspapers are not subscribed to by the Department centrally. Gathering of this information would be a disproportionate cost to DECC.

Press: Subscriptions

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change how much his Department spent on newspapers, periodicals and trade publications in the last 12 months.

Gregory Barker: The Department of Energy and Climate Change spent £24,000 on its electronic press cuttings service during the 12 month period ending September 2012. The equivalent expenditure for the period 1 April 2010 to 31 March 2011 was £80,000.
	The Department does not record expenditure on newspapers, periodicals and trade profession magazines separately from overall expenditure on publications which includes the cost of the Department's own publications as well as purchased publications of all types. It would incur disproportionate costs to scrutinise all publication transactions to identify relevant amounts.

Billing

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the average time taken by his Department to settle invoices to external suppliers or contractors was in each of the last three financial years.

Jeremy Wright: The following table shows the overall Department figures for the total number of invoices paid in the last three financial years. It also shows the percentage of those that were paid within the five day departmental target.
	
		
			 Financial year Total number of invoices paid Number of invoices paid within five days Percentage of total invoices received paid within the five day  d epartmental target 
			 2010-11 894,611 697,880 78.01 
			 2011-12 897,657 753,184 83.91 
			 2012-13(1) 436,866 378,046 86.54 
			 (1) YTD figure 1 April 2012 to 30 September 2012.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the effect of the proposed changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme on people who rely upon such compensation to cover the cost of living after they have been the victim of a violent crime; and if he will make a statement.

Helen Grant: Our proposals for reforming the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme were published in the consultation document “Getting it right for victims and witnesses” on 30 January and interested parties had a 12 week period in which to submit comments. Many were received and all were carefully considered.
	A draft scheme was laid before Parliament on 2 July and was approved by the House of Lords later that month. On 10 September, at the Delegated Legislation Committee in the House of Commons, several hon. Members made points abut the impact of our changes to the scheme. We agreed to take away and consider those points. We have now done so.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent representations he has received on the decision to disallow loss of earning claims for those with a broken work record in the last three years under the Draft Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012.

Helen Grant: The only recent representations on this element of the draft Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme 2012 were made in debates in the House of Commons on 7 September (one hon. Member) and 10 September (two hon. Members) and in the House of Lords on 25 July (two noble Baronesses).

Prisoners

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what the total prison population is in England and Wales; and what proportion of the prison population is serving sentences of (a) four years or less, (b) one year of less and (c) six months or less.

Jeremy Wright: The prison population for England and Wales as of 30 September 2012 was 86,457. Of which (a) 33% (28,254) are serving sentences of four years or less; (b) 9% (7,670) are serving sentences of less than 12 months and (c) 6% (5,238) are serving sentences of six months or less.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Theft: Metals

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what proportion of people charged with an offence involving stolen metal were recorded as being scrap metal dealers in each of the last three years.

Jeremy Browne: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Home Department.
	Information on the number of persons charged is not collected centrally. The police recorded crime statistics collected by the Home Office has data on the number of offences that were detected by means of a charge or summons but does not hold any information regarding the alleged offender.

Vacancies

Mike Freer: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what his Department's vacancy rate was in 2011-12; and what vacancy rate has been assumed for 2012-13.

Jeremy Wright: The Ministry of Justice does not collate vacancy rates centrally. However the National Offender Management Service does collate a profile of vacancies.
	For NOMS, the vacancy rate at 31 March 2012 was around 2%. This will fluctuate throughout the year as vacancies are filled or as more vacancies are created.
	The data is not available for the wider Department. However the number of vacancies that were advertised during the period 1 June 2011 to 31 March 2012 is available. During this period, around 2,060 vacancies were advertised. It is not possible to give full-year figures for 2011-12 because the Ministry of Justice's recruitment system was subject to an IT change.
	The Department's central budgetary calculations for 2012-13 do not involve assumptions about vacancy rates. Recruitment depends upon the need to balance redeployment of displaced surplus staff, turnover rates and operational need.